Dispensing and display rack for coiled merchandise



H. J. KUTZ Aug. 16, 1966 DISPENSING AND DISPLAY RACK FOR COILED MERCHANDISE Filed June 3, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR #uso .././(u72,

BY A LW.

ATTORNEYLS Aug. 16, 1966 H. J. KUTZ DISPENSING AND DISPLAY RACK FOR COILED MERCHANDISE Filed June 3, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HUGO L/ u72,

ATTORNEXS.

United States Patent 3,266,763 DlSPENSlNG AND DISPLAY RACK FOR COILEI) MERCHANDISE Hugo .l. Kutz, 564 Western Ave, Grafton, N. Dak. Filed June 3, 1964, Ser. No. 372,184 Claims. (Cl. 248-82) This invention relates to a reel for displaying and dis pensing coiled flexible merchandise and is particularly adapted to and useful for displaying and dispensing rubber and plastic hose material such, for example, as garden hose and hose used in water and irrigation projects.

Hose of the character indicated is packaged at the factory in coils of considerable volume and length to be sold by the foot by a retail store merchant, it being the customary practice to cut oif from the coil whatever length is desired. Unless restrained and properly stored, once the factory coil is opened, the coil tends to expand and increase in size so as to occupy a space not always available to say nothing of the untidy appearance pressented when opened coils lie around.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a rack on which such coils may be displayed and from which the designated length of hose may be dispensed and be restrained from radial expansion.

A further object of this invention is to provide a display and dispensing rack for oiled merchandise which will serve to display a plurality of coils of varying sizes and from which the same may be dispensed.

More particularly, it is a further important object of this invention to store and display various sizes of hose on a common plane in a simple wall-mounted rack with the hose of the largest size stored in the outer rack and then progressing with the smaller sizes radially inwardly toward the geometrical center of the rack. Any one of these racks may be loaded and emptied independently of and without interference with any of the other racks in the set of racks. Furthermore, since all sizes of hose are stored in a common plane, the rack occupies a minimum of wall space. Since means are provided for holding the hose from rotating or expanding within the racks, and there being no moving elements, all sizes of hose are constantly in plain view of an observer. The taking of periodic stock inventories is also greatly facilitated by employing the rack forming the essence of this invention.

A rack embodying features of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical view of the rack in pre-loaded condition;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of FIGURE 1 viewed from the direction of arrows 33 in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of onehalf of the rack shown in FIGURE 1 and in loaded condition; and FIGURE 5 is a perspective view in detail of a portion of FIGURE 1 in the region 5-5 thereof.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the drawings, in which represents the completed rack in its preloaded state. The rack is designed to be mounted on a vertical wall surface and functions best when so mounted but the invention should not be limited solely to vertical surface mounting. As an example of typical but not limiting dimensions which the rack may be given, the overall dimension for the outermost hoop 11 is 8 feet and 6 inches diameter. The rack is constructed of eight radial arms 12-19 inclusive, extending from a central member radially outwardly and equally spaced therearound, said arms being provided each with wall mounting means 21. To each of the 3,266,763 Patented August 16, 1966 arms 1219 are welded a series of L shaped members 22 (see FIGURE 5) one portion 23 of each of said L shaped members extending perpendicularly and outwardly from said arms .and the other portion of each of said L shaped members extending parallel to and spaced from each of said L shaped members and directed inwardly toward the central member 20, thus providing a plurality of securement means for the hoops 11, 24, 25, 26 and 27, now to be described.

There are five L shaped members secured to each arm when employing a five-size storage rack adapted to store hoses having diameters running from 2 inches to inch, such diameters designating the hose sizes. When each of the eight radial arms 1249 with their respective L shaped members welded thereto are laid out, they assume a position somewhat like the spokes of a wheel. Then a continuous hoop 11 is secured, as by welding, to the free extremities of the L shaped member 22. The other hoops 24, 25, 26 and 27 are in like manner secured to their respective L shaped members in equally spaced fashion proceeding inwardly toward said central member 20, all of said hoops lying in a common plane parallel to and spaced from the mounting surface be it a wall or some similar surface. Thus, there are created five hose storage sections in the rack just described. Typical of dimensions employed, the members 22 are spaced 8 inches apart; the arms and central member are fashioned from 1% inches x 7 inch strap iron; the L shaped members are fashioned from ;-inch round iron bent to 8 inches x 5 inches and the hoops are strong enough when fashioned from /z-inch thin-wall metal conduit.

The five hose storage sections are created between hoops 27 and 26; between hoops 26 and between hoops 25 and 24; between hoops 24 and 11; and outwardly beyond hoop 11. The storage sections or racks are spaced about 3 inches between the concentric hoops. Each storage section or rack is provided with two starting or loading hooks; a left hook 3t) and a right hook 31, thus creating five left starting or loading hooks and five right starting or loading hooks. These hooks are welded to the radial arms 14 and 18 and as clearly shown in FIGURE 5, one leg of each hook projects downwardly and meets and is secured to the portion 23 of the L shaped member, the other leg of each hook also projects downwardly for a short distance in hook fashion and terminates freely.

Assume, for example, that the rack outwardly of hoop 11 is to be loaded with hose, probably of the largest diameter to be sold. If the hose is to be stored in a counterclockwise direction the open end 32 of the hose 33 would be placed over the hook 30 and the hose would be laid in the rack in a counterclockwise direction. If the hose is to be stored in a clockwise direction the open end 32 of the hose would be placed over the hook 31 and the hose would be laid in the rack in a clockwise direction. The hose when started is always within and retained in place by the L shaped members 22, 23. The arrangement just described will keep the hose from moving around in the rack while being loaded or unloaded, and perhaps without the loading or starting hooks it would be most difiicult if not impossible to load any of the racks with hose.

Those who merchandise hose will know that hose of different internal diameters are sent from the factory in coils of different diameters. In using the rack of the present invention, hose having the smallest internal diameter would be loaded in the rack section formed by hoops 27 and 26; hose having the next largest internal diameter would be loaded in the rack section formed by hoops 26 and 25 and so on outwardly for increasing hose diameters.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there has been devised an improved display and dispensing rack for coiled flexible merchandise which is simple of construction and operation and one which provides the maximum storage and display space in a minimum mounting space. There are no moving parts in the structure to render it operational, The form of the rack permits the loading or unloading of various sizes of hose without interference between the hoses with no parts projecting beyond the plane of the hoops.

I claim:

1. A rack for storing and dispensing coiled flexible merchandise comprising a base member consisting of a plurality of equally spaced radially disposed arms emanating from a common central member and lying in the same plane and adapted to be fixedly mounted on a vertical wall surface, a plurality of concentrically disposed flexible merchandise storage racks supported by means secured to said base member, the storage racks lying in a common plane parallel to said base member, said supporting means being constructed and arranged to provide a unitary storage and restraining means for restraining radial expansion of coils of flexible merchandise stored in said racks.

2. A rack for storing and dispensing coiled flexible merchandise comprising a base member consisting of a plurality of equally spaced radially disposed arms emanating from a common central member and lying in the same plane and adapted to be fixedly mounted on a vertical wall surface, a plurality of concentrically disposed flexible merchandise storage racks, each rack including a circular hoop and supported means secured to said base member, the circular hoops lying in a common plane spaced from and parallel to said base member, said supporting means consisting of a plurality of L shaped members, one portion of each of said members being rigidly attached to said base member and the other portion of each of said members being rigidly attached to said circular hoop thereby providing a unitary storage and restraining means for restraining radial expansion of coils of flexible merchandise stored in said racks.

3. The rack of claim 2 in which said L shaped members are equally spaced on each of said arms and extend outwardly therealong so that the portions of each of said members which are rigidly attached to said hoops will serve to equally space said concentrically arranged hoops.

4. The rack of claim 2 in which the point of attachment of said L shaped member to its corresponding circular hoop is spaced from the next adjacent portion of each L shaped member attached to said base member whereby a merchandise loading and dispensing access area is provided for each rack.

5. The rack of claim 2 in which each storage rack is provided with two coiled merchandise starting hooks, one starting hook being arranged to secure said merchandise when it is being stored in said rack in a clockwise direction, the other of said starting hooks being arranged to secure said merchandise when it is being stored in said rack in a counter-clockwise direction and in which said hooks are rigidly attached to oppositely disposed radial arms of said supporting base.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1943 Zierden 137355.28 1/1944 Zierden "137-35528 

1. A RACK FOR STORING AND DISPENSING COILED FLEXIBLE MERCHANDISE COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED RADIALLY DISPOSED ARMS EMANATING FROM A COMMON CENTRAL MEMBER AND LYING IN THE SAME PLANE AND ADAPTED TO BE FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON A VERTICAL WALL SURFACE, A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED FLEXIBLE MERCHANDISE STORAGE RACKS SUPPORTED BY MEANS SECURED TO SAID BASE MEMBER, THE STORAGE RACKS LYING IN A COMMON PLANE PARALLEL TO SAID BASE MEMBER, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO PROVIDE A UNITARY STORAGE AND RESTRAINING MEANS FOR RESTRAINING RADIAL EXPANSION OF COILS OF FLEXIBLE MERCHANDISE STORED IN SAID RACKS. 